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Rachel Baptista has overcome injuries and is ready to race the Austin Half Marathon

Rachel Baptista has been accepted to the Austin Half Marathon’s Elite Athlete Program. She will compete against other top runners for a prize purse that totals $26,000 on Feb. 17, 2019. Baptista gives some insight as to who she is below. Run with her on race day, cheer her on, or watch the FloTrack live stream on race day from anywhere in the world.

About Rachel Baptista

Born and raised in Austin, so I guess that makes me a unicorn in modern Austin terms! I ran for Austin High School, Go Maroons! After high school, I attended and ran for The University of Colorado and The University of Tulsa. I endured quite a few injuries in college. I’m healthy again and have figured out the right mix of high-level, healthy training. When I’m not running I work at Rogue Running. I enjoy the finer things in life like chips and queso, playing with my bulldog Chunky, hanging out with my homies, and listening to Justin Bieber.

Training tip: Find awesome peeps to run with that will push you and inspire you to go places you didn’t think you could. One thing that helps me get up at 4:45 in the morning is knowing I’ll get to do one of my favorite things with some of my favorite people. #bettertogether

Race day tip: Keep it simple and don’t over complicate it. That is one of the biggest things I have learned about racing. I used to get so nervous and psych myself out. Now I try to stay as relaxed as possible, almost like I am not even about to run a race. I make sure to have friends and good music around me to try and enjoy the moment. In the end, you are just putting one foot in front of the other, no need to overthink it!

Elite runners will compete during race weekend for a prize purse that totals $26,000

Jocelyn Todd accepts her award for finishing 3rd place at the 2018 Austin Half Marathon.

Introducing the first round of accepted elite runners for the 2019 Austin Marathon® presented by Under Armour®. Elite runners not accepted into the Elite Athlete Program are still invited to run in the Elite Field. Returning for its third year in a row, this opportunity creates a competitive field of male and female elite runners while discovering emerging talent, pushing the entire talent pool to reach Olympic standards. The Program’s Year Three prize purse totals $26,000. FloTrack’s live coverage highlights the competition amongst elite runners, following male and female marathoners and half marathoners.

“I’m excited to return to Austin again this year!” said Jocelyn Todd, 3rd place female at the 2018 Austin Half Marathon (1:17:19). “The steep competition, rolling course, excellent organization, and awesome crowd make the event a great component to my race schedule.”

The first round of 2019 Manzano Mile participants include:

“The 2018 elite field provided competitive racing, highlighted by Allison Macsas qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials (2:43:11),” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “We’re excited about the growth of this program and look forward to many more elites running the streets of Austin.”

The prize purse breakdown follows: $15,000 for the marathon, $5,000 for the half marathon, and $6,000 for the Manzano Mile presented by Dole. Applications are arriving daily. More than 50 applications have been submitted. We will announce the second round of elite runners in a few weeks. Applications are still being accepted and elite marathoners can apply on the Austin Marathon’s website. Athletes that meet the program’s standards and are accepted will be given one comp entry to the 2019 Austin Marathon or half marathon, reimbursement eligibility, and standards bonuses.

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